Describing the decision as suicidal, acting AL general secretary Syed Ashraful Islam said: "Fuel prices must be reverted to their previous levels because the decision will increase transport costs and the prices of commodities. All will push the country's already fragile economy into a worse situation."

Syed Jafar Sajjad, general secretary of JSD, said: "The decision of increasing fuel prices will only add to people's misery. Subsidies must continue as before."

Calling it 'an anti-people decision', Samyabadi Dal general secretary Dilip Barua said: "The government has increased fuel prices just to make the World Bank and IMF, its foreign masters, happy."

The AL is holding such meetings with its allies to reach a consensus on different issues, ahead of its upcoming dialogue with the caretaker government.

"We discussed our possible agenda for the dialogue and reached a consensus on the need for combining forces of the democratic and secular communities," Ashraful said in a news briefing after the meeting.

Jafar Sajjad said: "At the dialogue, we stressed lifting the state of emergency and withdrawal of all embargoes on politics. The Awami League agreed with us."

Asked who will be contesting the city corporation and municipal polls, Ashraful said: "An executive meeting will decide on the nominations of Awami League and its partners."